Closure for collapsible tubes



- Dec. 25, 1928.

1,696,506 A. E. SMITH CLOSURE FOR GOLLAPS IBLE TUBES v Filed June 21,1926 P .r. g. a

INVENTOR. ARTHUR E. SMITH ATTORNEY.

Patented Dec. 25,

UNITED STATES ARTHUR E. SMITH, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

cLosU-an FOR COLLAPSIBLE aromas. I

Application filed June 21', 1926. Serial No. 117,295.

This invention relates to closures for collapsible tubes.

The general object of thei-nvention is' to provide an improveddispensing closure for collapsible tubes which is so constructed thatcomplete closing of thedischargeorifice of the closure will beefl'ected. y

A specific object of the invention is to provide a valved closure forcollapsible tubes including avalve closure member which is threaded toengage threads on the collapsible tube and wherein the threads of theclosure are mutilated or partially removed to give added thickness toportions of the skirt of the closure to thereby increase the tendency ofthe valve to close.

Another object of the invention is to provide an elastic dispensingclosure cap for collapsible tubes wherein the skirt of the closure ismolded or made to be normally elliptical but which assumes a cylindricalform when placed on the tube.

Another object of the invention is to provide a combined collapsibletube and removable closure member wherein a removable plug or cork isarranged upon the end of the tube to prevent the contents from lfaielingforced out while the tube is being led.

Another object of the invention isto provide a collapsible tube'having apreformed discharge orifice therein and wherein means is provided for.normally preventing flow through the preformed orifice.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a collapsible tubeincluding a cap member having a preformed orifice and having a closureintegral with said cap for closing the orifice and for maintaining itclosed until the consumer desires to use the contents of the tube.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the followingdescription taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, whereinFig. 1 is a central sectional view show-' ing a cap embodying thefeatures of my invention; f

Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig.1 with the seal removed;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 showing the manner in which thematerial is extruded from the tube;

Figs. 4 and-5 are end views of the closure and tube as shown in Figs. 1and 2 respectively;

normally closed by a seal 18 which is in- 6 is section on line 6-6, Fig.4;

Fig. 7 1s anend view'and Fig. 8 is a central sectional view showing oneof the closures before it has been placed on the tube;

Fig. 9 is a central sectional view show.- ing the closure used 1ncombination-with a temporary sealing plug;

Fig. 10 is a central sectional view of a slight modification showing aportion of the securing threads of the closure removed;

Figlll is a section on line 1111, Fig. 10,

.Fig. 12-is a central sectional viewshowing'the closure with mutilatedthreads used in connection with a temporary plug clo-' sure, and v Fig.13 is a section of a modification.

Referring to the drawing by reference characters, I have shown a portionof a collapsible tube with which my invention may be used at 10. Thistube may be made of any suitable soft material and the tube,

as is customary, may be provided with anend portion 11 whichis'relatively stiff and on which.a threaded neck 12 is provided.

-A closure member embodying the features of my invention is indicatedgenerally at 13. This closure member includes a skirt 14 having an endportion 15 thereon. This end portion 15 is shown as provided with atransverse rib 16 in which a pre formed slit 17 is arranged.-- Theslit17 is tegral with the portion 16 of-the closure.

The closure 13 is preferably of rubber, celluloid, or similarmaterialand the slit 17 is made by providing ablade on one of the moldmembers. This blade is-wafer thin. In use, to dispense the contents ofthe tube, the seal 18 is removed by means. of a knife, scissors, orother member 19. This leaves an end portion20'whieh1 is intersected bythe vslitfl? so that the". material 21 will be. forced from the tubewhenthe latter issqueezedh 1 Due to the inherent orYelastic ties of theclosure, the latter will cause the pressure is removed from the tube.The

properwalls of the slit 17. to come together after V end oftheskirtwhich engages the; ortion 11 of the tube, is preferablytapereeo-pending application, .Serial Number 101,907,'filed April 14, 1926,

' The skirt 14 of the closure is preferably made elliptical in shapewhen in normal position with the major axis of the ellipse arranged atright angles to the slit 17 so that when it is placed upon thecylindrical neck 12 the skirt will be distorted to a round shape therebycausing tension in the side walls defining the slit to thereby cause thewalls to be forced together so that the tending of the slit to remainsealed is increased. The closure skirt 1 1 is preferably provided withinternal screw threads (as shown) which are adapted to match with thethreads on the neck 12 of the tube 10 to assure of a better grip betweenthe closure and the neck of the tube.

I also may, if desired, remove a portion of the threads on the closureas shown at 25 in Figs. 10 and 11. These mutilated thread portions 25are on opposite sides and are perpendicular to the slit. 1 As a resultof this construction the walls 14 will be distorted outwardly as shownin Fig. 10 when the closure is in place thereby setting up compressionstrains and further tending to maintain the slit 17 closed.

In Figs. 9 and 12 I show the neck 12 as provided with a plug 26 whichfits in the aperture in the neck 12 and has a flange 27 thereon whichengages the end of the neck. This plug is adapted to be engaged by theclosure 13 having a skirt 14, an end portion 15 and a rib 16 to preventleakage through the slit 17 a should the tube 10 be accidentallysqueezed. Before using a tube provided with the plug 26 the consumermust first remove the closure 13, then withdraw the plug 26. After theplug 26 has been removed the closure 13 is replaced and is moved toposition in a manner similar to that shown in Fig. 2.

I will now describe the use of my invention with the plug 26 omitted.The closure 13 is first inserted on the tube and the tube is presentedto the filling machine which fills the tube after which the filling endis closed. The seal 18 prevents leakage through the slit 17 whilefilling and the tube is sent to the consumer. The consumer will use aknife or scissors 19 to cut off the seal 18 after which the tubecontents will be available by merely squeezing the tube to cause theproper amount of material to be extruded. \Vhen the pressure is releasedthe slit 17 closes.

When the plug 26 is used it is inserted as shown in Fig. 9 and the cap13 is secured in place, this cap 13 has the slit 17 already formedtherein so that the plug 26 prevents material from being forced throughthe slit 1? under the pressure caused by the filling machine. After thetube is filled it is sent to the consumer who removes the cap 13,removes the plug 26 and then re laces the cap 13 thus making the tuberea y for use as previously described. When the consumer wishes to go onjourne s or otherwise move the tube so that it mig t be accidentallysqueezed, he can reinsert the plug 26 to prevent leakage.

In Fig. 12 the plug is shown as in use on a cap wherein a seal 18 isprovided. I have found that either the seal 18 or the plug 26 will serveto prevent leakage while the tube is being filled, but since theconsumer frequently desires to have the plug 26 for closing thecontainer after the seal has been removed, I may at times use both theplug 26 and the seal 18 if desired.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that I have providedan improved closure for a collapsible tube Wherein the closure isprovided with a preformed automatically closing discharge orifice andwherein means is provided for preventing flow through the orifice whilethe tube is being filled.

In F ig. 13 I have shown a modification wherein the neck of the tube 12is provided with a thin frangible diaphragm 40. This diaphragm is ofsoft material. The closure 13 may be of the type previously describedand this closure will normally take the position shown in Fig. 13 whenthe device is sold to the consumer. The consumer will remove the closure13 and will cut away the frangible diaphragm 40 and then replace theclosure so that the contents may be dispensed.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. The combination of a collapsible tube having a discharge end, aclosure for said end, said closure being made of flexible material andhaving a slit therein, said closure including a skirt engaging the endportion of said tube, the transverse section of said skirt beingnormally elli tical in shape.

2. The combination 0' a collapsible tube having a discharge end, aclosure for said end, said closure being made of flexible rubber-likematerial and having a slit molded therein, said closure including anintegral seal for said slit.

A closure for a collapsible tube, said closure being made of flexiblematerial and having a slit therein, said closure including a skirt, saidskirt forming an attaching portion for'positioning said closure uponsaid tube, a transverse section of the attaching portion of said skirtbeing normally of greater diameter in one direction than in a directionperpendicular thereto.

4. The combination of a collapsible tube having a threaded end, aclosure for said end, said closure being made of flexible material andhaving a slit therein, said closure including a skirt, said skirt havinginternal threads therein'with portions of the innermost threads removedon diametrically opposed sides.

5. In combination with a collapsible tube having a threaded dischargeorifice, a plug fitted in said orifice, said plug having ashoulderthereo'n engaging the end of said tube and a cap for temporarilyholding said plug in place, said cap having threads thereon adapted toengage threads on said tube, said cap being of flexible material andhaving a slit therein, and a seal integral with said cap for normallyclosing said slit.

6. In combination with a collapsible tube having a discharge orifice, aplug fitted in said orifice, said plug having a shoulder thereonengaging the end of said tube and a cap for temporarily holding saidplug in place, said cap having threads thereon adapted to engage threadson said tube, said cap being of flexible material and having a slittherein, a complete removal of said plug being necessary before thecontents of said tube can be discharged.

7. The combination of a collapsible tube having a threaded end, aclosure for said end, said closure being made of flexible material andhaving a preformed slit therein, said closure including a seal for saidpreformed slit, said seal being integral with the body of the closure,said closure including a skirt normally elliptical in shape, said skirthaving internal threads therein with portions of the innermost threadsremoved on diametrically opposed sides.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto afiix my signature.

ARTHUR E. SMITH.

